EBMM Cutlass vs PRS Fiore vs Fender Strat vs ?

Romo82

Romo82

Experienced
So here's the question, supposing you were in the market for a guitar of the Strat type, mainly prefer HSS but certainly not opposed to SSS. Which one would be your suggestion?

I live pretty rurally and the closest store is an hour away and dont carry much more than one or two US Fenders and Gibsons but nothing more "Exotic" than that so the chances of me being able to play each one is basically nil.

Is there a Strat Killer among them or is the Strat the king?

I'm really interested in the Fiore, and the Cutlass....... Strats are nice too........... but then what about the Silver Sky?.......... Tom Anderson perhaps?

A Jaguar you say?
 
It depends on what you want. Do you want vintage tones, or is something with a more modern voice okay? Of the ones you mentioned Tom Anderson would be my choice, but I've never tried the EBMM or the PRS offerings. I hear that EBMMs tend to have narrow / thin necks, so that is something to consider. You can order a TA with just about any configuration you would want.
 
I’ve played the EBMM Cutlass and I thought they felt great at the time. These were the offshore versions not the US. Wouldn’t mind having one of those. If I buy another Strat type guitar it will likely be the SE Silver Sky. Larger radius than the US version which I think is a good thing. My US Deluxe Strat is a good guitar. It’s HSS and gets a lot of tones but I’m wanting a pure single coil guitar. If money wasn’t an object I would look at the Suhr or US Cutlass.
 
Romo82 said:
I've played a Suhr Modern but it didn't really gel with me. It wasn't bad, well made but it didn't blow me away like I thought it should/would.
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For strat-style Suhr, I don’t think the Modern will be what you’re looking for. A Suhr Standard, on the other hand, may be just the ticket.

I started a similar thread a few months ago and got a lot of really valuable advice on this forum.

I bought several to try; Tom Anderson Drop Top and Classic S as well as three Suhr Standards and two Moderns (not all at once, but over a few months).

The TAs were the best overall, but I would have been too nervous to gig with them - too expensive. Same goes for the Moderns.

The keeper of them all was the Suhr Standard HSS. I tried out three and kept the one with rosewood fretboard, roasted neck, and Wilkinson trem with locking saddles.

I'd thought I might hold on to two of the Suhr Standards, but decided one was enough and got a Suhr Classic T HS instead.
 

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secondwindow said:
For strat-style Suhr, I don’t think the Modern will be what you’re looking for. A Suhr Standard, on the other hand, may be just the ticket.
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Yeah, if you’re looking at the Suhr lineup and want a strat killer the Standard and the Classic S are the models to look at. The Modern isn’t really meant to sound like a strat (at least in the configurations that are available without ordering a custom build).
 
I have a Fender USA Deluxe V-Neck strat and love that guitar, it's one that I won't ever part with. Most comfortable neck of the guitars I own. I've been interested in the EBMM Cutlass but the 'silent circuit' and neck profile has me a bit hesitant. The Fiore checks all of the boxes for me when it comes to a 'super strat'. Great sounding pickups, classy understated design and a non-shredder neck profile. I'm not in any position to buy anything ATM, but the Fiore would definitely be my choice.
 
OrganicZed said:
Yeah, if you’re looking at the Suhr lineup and want a strat killer the Standard and the Classic S are the models to look at. The Modern isn’t really meant to sound like a strat (at least in the configurations that are available without ordering a custom build).
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Good tip - I forgot to mention the Suhr Classic S. It's definitely more strat-like.

I liked the flatter radius and larger frets on the Standard, but don't think I'd have been unhappy with the Classic S.
 
I think it's really hard to know what you're going to like without getting the guitar in your hands, if you're not already familiar with things like the various ergonomics of the different brands and models that may satisfy your needs. So here's an outside-the-box idea...
To maybe offset the cost of buying, and then selling, a few guitars (without playing them first) before you land on the one you like, has anyone who doesn't have close access to a well-stocked music store ever considered watching for airline ticket sales, then buying a cheap ticket to a major city so you could go visit a few stores? Or maybe roll a visit or 2 into an upcoming vacation? Just an idea...
 
secondwindow said:
Good tip - I forgot to mention the Suhr Classic S. It's definitely more strat-like.

I liked the flatter radius and larger frets on the Standard, but don't think I'd have been unhappy with the Classic S.
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The radius difference (9-12 on the classic v 10-14 on the standard) is pretty subtle. The bigger differences between the necks are the frets (medium vs medium jumbo) and the neck profiles (60's C vs even C slim).
 
Henry said:
I'd go with a Fender Ultra (Luxe) Stratocaster.
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I had a Strat Ultra that was pretty good as well as a Luxe version. For less than the price of a Luxe, I bought new Suhr Standards ~$2100). Nothing wrong at all with the Luxe, it's just that I liked the Suhr better.

BTW: I found that price on the Suhrs at Pitbull Audio online, affiliated with Musicstorelive.com. I called Pitbull and told then I was interested I a guitar they listed on Reverb. They offered to reduce the price by the amount of what their Reverb seller fees would be and didn't charge for shipping or withhold tax.
 
OrganicZed said:
The radius difference (9-12 on the classic v 10-14 on the standard) is pretty subtle. The bigger differences between the necks are the frets (medium vs medium jumbo) and the neck profiles (60's C vs even C slim).
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Very true! The neck profile makes more of a difference than the fretboard radius.
 
secondwindow said:
BTW: I found that price on the Suhrs at Pitbull Audio online, affiliated with Musicstorelive.com. I called Pitbull and told then I was interested I a guitar they listed on Reverb. They offered to reduce the price by the amount of what their Reverb seller fees would be and didn't charge for shipping or withhold tax.
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Musicstorelive. They gave me good deals on a couple items, just because I asked. I like those people.
 
Romo82 said:
So here's the question, supposing you were in the market for a guitar of the Strat type, mainly prefer HSS but certainly not opposed to SSS. Which one would be your suggestion?

I live pretty rurally and the closest store is an hour away and dont carry much more than one or two US Fenders and Gibsons but nothing more "Exotic" than that so the chances of me being able to play each one is basically nil.

Is there a Strat Killer among them or is the Strat the king?

I'm really interested in the Fiore, and the Cutlass....... Strats are nice too........... but then what about the Silver Sky?.......... Tom Anderson perhaps?

A Jaguar you say?
Click to expand...
@Romo82:

If money is no object, the Suhr Classic HSS is a good choice.

BUT, check out Schecter's Nick Johnston 1546 Traditional HSS if perhaps you'd like Suhr quality at a much lower price point. The NJ HSS has virtually noiseless HSS pickups, with a push-pull tone coil-tap knob.

The 14" radius neck is sleek and fast. Depending on the model if you can find one, you might receive a roasted maple neck, or rosewood fretboard roasted maple neck. The NJ HSS is imported from Indonesia, but the quality is excellent.

The USA-made NJ HSS have the associated USA price point, but TBH, they both ring clean and clearly when plugged into a clean amp. The greasy bits are there as well when plugged into an overdriven or distorted rig.

Can it chug? I've not tried this yet, as that's not typically my style. There are additional forum members who also own an NJ HSS, and I'd put it to them to answer your question.

The pickups are well-balanced, not too hot nor too weak. Warm, articulate, an exceptional value for the money. The NJ HSS is not offered in sunburst or figured maple finishes, but the alder body and maple neck makes for a nice balance of form and function.

MusicStoreLive sells these, though I think I snagged the last one recently. If you ask politely about their stock, and ask about negotiable prices, the sales managers there will provide the best deal possible. Check 'em out; the price point will draw you in, and the sound clips on YT will convince you.

For reference, here's Marco Fanton from the G66 YT page with his USA NJ HSS.

 
bleujazz3 said:
@Romo82:

If money is no object, the Suhr Classic HSS is a good choice.

BUT, check out Schecter's Nick Johnston 1546 Traditional HSS if perhaps you'd like Suhr quality at a much lower price point. The NJ HSS has virtually noiseless HSS pickups, with a push-pull tone coil-tap knob.

The 14" radius neck is sleek and fast. Depending on the model if you can find one, you might receive a roasted maple neck, or rosewood fretboard roasted maple neck. The NJ HSS is imported from Indonesia, but the quality is excellent.

The USA-made NJ HSS have the associated USA price point, but TBH, they both ring clean and clearly when plugged into a clean amp. The greasy bits are there as well when plugged into an overdriven or distorted rig.

Can it chug? I've not tried this yet, as that's not typically my style. There are additional forum members who also own an NJ HSS, and I'd put it to them to answer your question.

The pickups are well-balanced, not too hot nor too weak. Warm, articulate, an exceptional value for the money. The NJ HSS is not offered in sunburst or figured maple finishes, but the alder body and maple neck makes for a nice balance of form and function.

MusicStoreLive sells these, though I think I snagged the last one recently. If you ask politely about their stock, and ask about negotiable prices, the sales managers there will provide the best deal possible. Check 'em out; the price point will draw you in, and the sound clips on YT will convince you.

For reference, here's Marco Fanton from the G66 YT page with his USA NJ HSS.

Click to expand...

Maybe you posted the wrong video? That's not a Nick Johnston... ;)
 
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